Congratulations to Red Velvet’s Red Flavor! The song easily bested UP10TION’s Tonight with 86.4% of the vote. Honestly, I’m not surprised. I absolutely adore Tonight, but even I would have voted Red Flavor on this one. It’s just a mammoth summer single. For match-up number two, we’ve got SHINee’s 2015 comeback View versus WJSN’s 2019 track … Continue reading
When Han Seungwoo announced his first solo comeback, it wasn’t immediately apparent that the title track would also serve as a farewell before his enlistment hiatus. I guess the writing was on the wall, but this distinction totally transforms the album’s appeal. Stripped back to bare bones, Seungwoo has chosen See You Again (다시 만나) … Continue reading
One of 2021’s most welcome trends has been the resurgence of classic second-gen groups. Whether this comes via rediscovery of old tracks or the embrace of new comebacks, it’s gratifying to see these established acts get their due. The latest group to make a long-awaited return is 2PM. Make It (해야 해) arrives almost five … Continue reading
NCT Dream’s Hot Sauce had an interesting trajectory for me. On first listen, I was repulsed. That chanted chorus felt like a jackhammer to the skull. Then, something switched, and I found myself bopping along. The instrumental’s percussion and guitar became highlights and I was happy to embrace Dream’s aural madness. That lasted about a … Continue reading
LOONA’s relatively long hiatuses make each comeback feel like an event. And, this time their title track is even more momentous. It’s their first full-group release since 2019. Leader Haseul is back, and the Bollywood-esque PTT (Paint The Town) welcomes her with aplomb. But, like so many K-pop singles this year, the song suffers from … Continue reading
The Bias List Summer Bracket begins here! For our first match-up, we’ve got UP10TION’s 2016 track Tonight versus Red Velvet’s 2017 hit Red Flavor. Though one song was more commercially successful than the other, both drip with summertime sounds and energy. But, one will fall today. The choice is up to all of you. Feel free … Continue reading
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! December … Continue reading
Over the next few weeks, we’re going to decide K-pop’s Ultimate Song of Summer together! Starting on Monday, you’ll have a chance to participate in the first Bias List bracket. Each weekday, two summer songs will compete against each other. Simply vote for the one you want to move onto the next round. How do … Continue reading
It’s been an unusually long break since Stray Kids’ last Korean comeback. They spent their first three years blitzing the market with music — no less than nine albums’ worth of material depending on how you classify their minis and repackages. Their 2021 has been devoted to Mnet’s Kingdom, which paid off in victory during … Continue reading
With over 3,000 songs on my iPhone’s “K-Pop Singles” playlist, I thought it would be fun to add a bit of unpredictability to my song review posts. So as a result, we have the “Random Shuffle Review” feature. The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first gets … Continue reading
K-Pop debuts can be tricky things. At times, they’re the best song a group delivers. Sometimes, they’re the only song a group delivers! But, debuts can also be huge wtf moments in an artist’s career. In this feature, I’ll be looking back at debut songs through the prism of time, re-evaluating how well they hold … Continue reading
I think it’s obvious that I love a good statistic. In addition to my core rating system, I’ve got my top three songs of each month, my yearly countdowns and more data breakdowns than anyone could ask for. None of these are perfect ways to categorize or quantify something as subjective as music, but they … Continue reading
K-Pop debuts can be tricky things. At times, they’re the best song a group delivers. Sometimes, they’re the only song a group delivers! But, debuts can also be huge wtf moments in an artist’s career. In this feature, I’ll be looking back at debut songs through the prism of time, re-evaluating how well they hold … Continue reading
A.C.E may not come back very often, but they’ve managed to place a song in my year-end top ten for two years running. ‘Quality over quantity’ is not a bad approach, and they’ve been wise to stick with the same circle of producers to ensure a cohesive discography. Higher is their latest release with composer … Continue reading
Apart from their ‘girl in a mask’ gimmick, not much about Pink Fantasy’s discography has remained consistent. Their music swings pretty wildly between sounds, though a creepy sense of unease ties everything together. Still, I think the group hit the sweet spot with 2019’s rock-fueled Fantasy. It’s a shame that follow-up singles jettisoned this style … Continue reading
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! November … Continue reading
A K-pop group’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Seventeen’s Ready To Love appears to … Continue reading
**This post has been updated with the official music video now that the song is being promoted as a follow-up single!** After a drought of strong K-pop albums, this week has delivered a host of great b-sides. As much as I love a knockout comeback track, an equally-great album makes the whole experience so much … Continue reading
Though it’s been eight months since a proper Seventeen comeback, the group kept fans busy with solo releases and a Japanese single throughout this spring. It feels as if they’ve been building momentum leading up to new mini album Your Choice. Now a part of the HYBE umbrella, title track Ready To Love takes full … Continue reading
Yugyeom pre-released a track last week as his first work since signing with hip-hop label AOMG. Now, he’s taking full advantage of the agency’s roster and employing Gray as guest producer/artist on All Your Fault (네 잘못이야). I’ve been a longtime fan of Gray’s beats, as they often feel timeless in execution. And even if … Continue reading
